The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-05-26
BILL ARP.
The Georgia Philosopher in New York.

DILL AMI
The Georgia Philosopher in New York.
Nearly forty years ago stopped at the
Astor House in this great city. 1t was
considered fine then-yes, superfne-the
acme, the ne plus ultra of hotels. The
aristocracy of the land stopped there and
the youthful swell who could not afford
to stop there picked their teeth on the
steps. 1t is considered very comfort.
able cid stone barn now and 80 for auld
lang syne I halted there and took room
at one dollar and half day and had
the privilege of eating where I pleased.
liked this very we'll. My room was on
the second floor and was just high
enough for me to stand up and write my
name on the ceiling over my head. I
measured it and found it only six and
half feet. There was one little window
eighteen inches high and the sash opened
on pair of hinges and the window on
the grave yard of st. Paul's Church.
How immensely grand that Astor House
used to look. How Insignificant and
humble it looks now. It certainly has
shrunk down and drawn up, but it is o
good house still.
But as Z had no business On Wall
Street departed those coasts and took
up my abode at the Fifth Avenue, where
everything is grand even to the charges
per day, but thought would play the
consequential little while, and strut
around with the magnates. Senators
and governors and counts. and generals
are common here. General Sherman
lives here and be and pass and repass
and take our meals near together and I
expect get slice from the same turkey.
He is very peaceable now. There was
time when he didn't divide turkeys
with us nor chickens nor hogs nor sheep,
but took them all and kindly threw us
the bones, but that was war and now it
is peace, blessed peace and tranquility.
he looks quite old and harmless now
and moves about without exciting more
than ordinary attention. The fact is
New York has not got time to waste on
anybody. 1t is in one feverish tumultu.
Gus rush. But everybody seems about as
happy here as they do elsewhere. I
have seen no beggars nor misery. Years
ago the ragged children and miserable
old women used to be at every crossing
pleading for charity, but they are not
here now. I have inquired about them
aud am pleased to learn that the chari.
table institutions here provided literally
for all the destitute. There are no
wretched dens where the starving poor
live and die unnoticed and unknown.
It does not take countryman so very
long to get used to city ways aud fall
into line. The second day.I learned the
ropes of the elevators and could bob up
serenely to the fourth floor without at
tracing attention. The proyincials
make great mistake in imagining that
anybody here cares one copper about who
they are or where they came from or how
they are dressed. like that. A friend
of mine who broke down in Georgia and
lost his patrimony, said he had several
reasons for coming to New York to live
and one was that New York didn't care
whether he had ever been rich and
proud or not. There WAS money here
and a fair reward for labor and for brains.
But down 10 his old home some were
glad that he failed and others pitied him
and he didn't want either. Town gossip
feasted on the fall and retailed it until
the story was threadbare. They even
wondered what his wife would do with
her elegant toilets and how long she
could keep her diamond brooch. "Now," !"
said he, eve are out of 1t all and my
wife and myself and our two children
are all bread winners and make a com.
Portable support. left no debts behind
me and make none here" Well, it is
hard to have to go to the bottom of the
hill and climb up again after one has
been at the top. 1t cuts like 8 knife
when there is wife and children in.
volved-an affectionate, trusting wife,
who was reared in luxury and knew no
wants. As for the children, it does not
go 80 hard, for they can soon acquire
habits of industry, and maybe it will be
all the better for them. I found other
friends here-good friends, whom I had
not seen for years, and had almost lost
them; but they were doing we'll, and ne
enjoyed our reunion and talked gushingly
of the halcyon days of yore. The
married daughter of an old schoolmate
greeted me early. With her and her own
lovely lassie Of thirteen summers NE
drove through Central park and spent a
whole afternoon on the road and visited
the great museum where paintings that
cost sixty thousand dollars are mixed up
with those that ccst six hundred, and it
takes smarter man than me to tell the
difference. Just so was I about the fine
horses-for I didn't see more than about
two hundred dollars difference between
fremont, who sold recently for one hun
dred and forty.fve Thousand dollars, and
horse near by that sold for 6ve hun.
dred. 1t is esteemed a great privilege
to be allowed to rub Tremont's nose with
just one stroke, and hair from his tail
would bring ten dollars, with thanks.
With my lady friends and some nice
gentlemen I went to Cedarhurst, on
Long Island, to see the great hurdle
races. 1t was sight long to be remem-
bered, even by patriarch, for who ever